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LAKE ELSINORE — A carnival midway, live professional wrestling and two movies a night under the stars will fill the Outlets of Lake Elsinore the weekend before Halloween. Family Fun Fest runs Friday, Oct. 23 through Sunday, Oct. 25, and general admission is $5 for all ages. Parking is free.
The event is hosted by Riverside County Carnival LLC and Temecula Valley Community Events, a 501(c)(6) nonprofit. Organizers say the goal was simple: a family-friendly weekend that stays affordable. Wrestling, movie nights and the foam party are all included with the $5 ticket.
The whole idea behind the event, organizers say, is to showcase the small business owners who live and work in the region. After years of putting on the same events and seeing the same handful of businesses at each one, they set out to build something different: a weekend that is fun, family-friendly, affordable for most people to attend, and that gives the community a chance to meet the people who own and operate businesses right here.
“We got tired of going to the same events year after year and seeing the same businesses,” said Alex Kowalkoski, founder of Riverside County Carnival. “There are so many great people running companies in this valley that nobody has met yet. This is their weekend.
“In this economy, we wanted something a whole family could afford. Five dollars gets you through the gate, and everything but the rides is included. Whether or not you spend a dime on the midway, the entertainment that comes with your ticket is worth the price of admission on its own. Live wrestling, two movies and a foam party would each cost more than five dollars anywhere else. Here you get all of them together.”
To put the event within reach of even more families, organizers gave out more than 120,000 free student general admission tickets through the Lake Elsinore, Temecula, Murrieta, Menifee and Perris school districts, along with many charter and private schools in the region.
“If a kid brings that ticket home, the whole family has a reason to come out,” Kowalkoski said. “That’s the point. Nobody should have to skip a weekend like this because of the cost.”
The carnival
The midway features classic carnival rides, from a Ferris wheel to spinning thrill rides, plus games of skill. Unlimited ride wristbands are $35 presale or $45 at the gate and are valid for one day. Wristbands are available now at FamilyFunFestLE.com.
For Kowalkoski, the carnival is personal
“I’m from the Midwest, and carnivals are our thing out there,” he said. “Every town has one. I don’t see a lot of that out here, so I’ve always enjoyed bringing a little of that Midwest vibe to Southern California.”
Kowalkoski said the ride lineup is the hardest part of the event to balance. Ride companies set their roster based on expected attendance and ride-ticket revenue, so the bigger the crowd, the bigger the rides they are willing to bring.
“These rides are extremely expensive to bring out,” he said. “We’d love to bring in larger rides, and that comes down to community participation, which has grown every time we’ve put on an event. We know we can’t please everyone, but our hope is that as we grow with the community, we can keep adding bigger rides as the years go on.”
Live wrestling
Valley Wrestling Connection presents live professional wrestling under the big top each night at no extra charge. Organizers say wrestling has been one of the most popular parts of every event they have put on, and bringing it back was never in question.
“We love working with Mr. James and Valley Wrestling Connection,” Kowalkoski said. “Every time, they bring great family-friendly entertainment, and the crowd shows up for it.”
Movie nights
New this year, outdoor movie nights replace the live music of past events. Organizers said finding the right band for a large, mixed-age crowd was always tricky, and a survey of past attendees showed strong interest in bringing back the old drive-in experience, minus the cars.
“Families told us they loved the idea,” Kowalkoski said. “Spread out a blanket, a movie for the kids, then one for the teens and parents. It’s the drive-in without the cars, and it’s all part of the five dollars.”
Each night features two films on a glowing screen in the open lot: an early kid-friendly movie, followed by a second feature aimed at teens and adults, just like the drive-ins.
Friday opens with “Hocus Pocus” followed by “Supergirl.” Saturday brings “Toy Story 5” and then “Obsession.” Sunday closes the weekend with “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Sinners.” Both films each night are included with the $5 admission. Seating is bring-your-own-blanket or chair on the paved lot, and showtimes are posted at FamilyFunFestLE.com.
The films will play on a 35-foot projector screen courtesy of Redzone Performance, a new telehealth business in the Valley offering testosterone replacement and hormone replacement therapy.
“Redzone Performance is new to the Valley, and they wanted their first big step to be showing up for the community, not just opening their doors,” Kowalkoski said. “They help men and women who are tired of feeling run down get their energy and health back, and they do it through telehealth so people here can get care without leaving home. When they heard what we were building, they said, ‘Let us put the screen up.’ That’s the kind of partner you want.”
Redzone Performance will also hand out coupons to 5,000 adults at the festival while supplies last.
There are giveaways, too. On Friday, lucky movie fans will take home a “Hocus Pocus”-themed spell book, and on Saturday night some will win One Wish Willows of their own. “Where else can you get a night of entertainment and maybe some cool theater gifts for five dollars?” Kowalkoski said. “We wanted this to be fun and special for families. We truly believe this is the most affordable event in the Valley this Halloween season.”
Nightly foam party
The midway turns into a mountain of bubbles every evening at 5 p.m., weather permitting. The foam party is presented in sponsorship with The Foam Zone, a locally owned Lake Elsinore company. The foam is non-toxic and safe for all ages.
“The Foam Zone is exactly the kind of local business this event is built around,” Kowalkoski said. “They’re right here in Lake Elsinore, and the kids go crazy for it.”
Organizers suggest bringing a towel and clothes that can get wet.
Local vendors
The vendor lineup is made up of locally owned food trucks, dessert makers and merchants, among them Mexi Tacos and Birria, Minh Bites by Pho Minh USA, The Dirty Lemonade Co., Bootleg Bistro, Lil’ Orbits Mini Donuts, Doh Creamery and SoCal Legends Snapbacks. The full vendor directory is online.
Come in costume
Families are encouraged to dress up. Face paint is welcome, but for safety no masks of any kind are allowed and faces must stay visible.
Know before you go
No outside food or drinks are permitted on site. Alcohol is available for purchase for guests 21 and over. Gates open at 4 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The festival runs rain or shine, and all sales are final.
Community partners
The Outlets of Lake Elsinore are hosting the festival on their property for the third time.
“Christine Frantz and the team at the Outlets have been amazing hosts every time we’ve brought an event here,” Kowalkoski said. “They understand what this does for the community, and they make it easy for us to keep coming back.”
Southwest Healthcare returns as a sponsor.
“Southwest Healthcare has been a great community partner for us at every event we’ve put on,” Kowalkoski said. “When a local hospital system shows up for a family event like this, it says something about how much they care about the people here.”
Family Fun Fest takes place at the Outlets of Lake Elsinore, 17600 Collier Ave., Lake Elsinore. Tickets, wristbands, the schedule and the vendor directory are at FamilyFunFestLE.com. For more information, email info@riversidecountycarnival.com or call (951) 526-4553, and follow @riversidecountycarnival on Instagram.
Local businesses supporting the event include Southwest Healthcare, Xtreme Heating & Air Conditioning, Temecula Valley Junk Pick Up, Prime Media Consulting, Redzone Performance, The Foam Zone, Cold Ass Trailers, Hybrid Power Electric, Davidson Print3D, Farrell Remodeling, Foster Children Safe Haven, California Lutheran Academy, Shipwrecked Collectibles, and UEC Roofing.
